Ladakh to receive new High Court bench in Leh

The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of a new bench of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in the Union Territory of Ladakh. Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the new bench will be located in Leh, the capital of Ladakh.

Currently, the High Court operates through its principal seats in Jammu and Srinagar, requiring residents of Ladakh to travel long distances across difficult mountainous terrain to access legal services. The new arrangement aims to improve access to justice by reducing the time and distance involved in judicial proceedings for litigants and lawyers in the region.

This decision follows the 2019 reorganization that separated Ladakh from the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The High Court will retain its existing name while expanding its judicial presence to three locations: Jammu, Srinagar, and Leh.